Nautical art began in earnest as an art form at the dawn of this country as portraits- not of the sailors but of their vessels.

Created by portrait artists who turned from people to profiles of ships, the paintings were commissioned by captains, owners and shipbuilders interested in documenting their vessels.

Historically, nautical art has been about boats on the water. Early maritime painters focused on capturing a good likeness of the vessels but tended to miss the finer elements of the natural environment.